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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283711">blue hour.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/winniewinko/pseuds/winniewinko'>winniewinko</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexuality, Fae &amp; Fairies, Fluff, M/M, Vague Everything, Vague setting, at the end tho, author is a mess, mentions of cannibalism, nct hyungline because i'm too lazy to type their names, not severe but it's there, past sicheng and [redacted], sicheng is a fae, vague time, what am I even doing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:01:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,709</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283711</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/winniewinko/pseuds/winniewinko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em> sicheng’s brown eyes are rich. it reminds taeyong of earth, and soil; deep and dark and full of life. when he smiles, flowers bloom in them. the earth quakes when he cries. when he shakes with rage, the soil shall be your grave. </em><br/> <br/><em> right now, though, there’s a thunderstorm in his eyes. </em></p>
<p>
  <em> the fairy’s cheeks turn red as he looks away. they look kin to cherries and his nose looks like the peaches taeyong planted. it’s cute, having so many colors on his beautiful honey canvas. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>or: taeyong's a wreck when it comes to dating humans. so he dates a fairy instead.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Lee Taeyong, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun &amp; Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Moon Taeil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>blue hour.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello!! me back again with another winwin centric fic because if you didn't figure by now i'm a yunqi lol... ANYWAYS it's fantasy now, and I suck at fantasy so please forgive me if there's any mistakes /cries/<br/>the title is from txt's new bop because WHEW it's a bop and it suits this omfg<br/>as usual no proofread oops</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>taeyong wouldn’t consider himself a city person, despite living in the city for all his life. his apartment is his safe zone – although taeyong wants to explore somewhere more exciting, that could send adrenalines through his blood veins once again, because basketball simply couldn’t do the trick anymore.</p>
<p>don’t get him wrong, he loves basketball and still goes to play with jaehyun and johnny (and yuta if they get to bribe him with food) sometimes but. it’s not exciting anymore. </p>
<p> his apartment is small, but it’s good enough for a single man like him. it’s 550 square feet, with only two bedrooms (one belonged to doyoung, but he moved in with taeil last year, so now it’s a guest room) and one bathroom, but importantly it’s close to his workplace. </p>
<p>oh, right. taeyong works at a café in uptown. it’s nothing fancy, but it pays decent. once in a while he’ll go to a club downtown with his friends, too, which is also close with his apartment so sometimes he’ll ditch his car and walk.</p>
<p>today is another boring friday. the café is almost empty, since it’s inching to six p.m., but at least tomorrow he’s going to play basketball again. they managed to bribe doyoung, but taeyong doesn’t expect him to come since he’s got kids to take care of. taeyong’s a laid-back man, but sometimes he thinks he needs to try to catch up because while his friends are married and having kids, he’s still here in this café, and even after work there’s no one he’s coming home to. except for ruby before.</p>
<p>“ maybe I should get another dog ,” he says to his colleague, kun, a fine man with dimples so deep taeyong always has the urge to poke them. he leans against the counter as he watches kun brews some coffee. “ I mean, it can’t replace ruby but at least I won’t feel too empty .”</p>
<p>kun shoots him a look. “ instead of getting another pet, why don’t you try to date someone ?”</p>
<p>as kun expected, taeyong starts whining. the chinese man shakes his head at him and continues his work, ignoring taeyong who’s ranting about how it’s easier to take care of pets than a partner. when he realizes kun isn’t listening taeyong pouts.</p>
<p>“ you’re not listening !”</p>
<p>“ hyung, you’re 25 ,” kun reminds him. “ I know you last dated in high school, blah blah, but you have to try. for once stop hanging out with the dudes, get yourself out there and find someone. or try an app, something. maybe a gay bar if that’s your thing. it’s 2020, who cares .”</p>
<p>“ but it’s hard! I don’t even know how to talk to strangers. or humans, in this matter .”</p>
<p>kun rolls his eyes as he unties his apron, hanging it on the wall hanger. “ then talk to the walls in your apartment for the rest of your life .”</p>
<p>“ I don’t talk to the walls !”</p>
<p>“ then what, the ceiling ?” kun snorts. “ look, I’m not really a relationship expert, so you gotta ask ten. I mean, I’m a pussy like you, and you know he’s the one who grabbed me and kissed me, and asked me out after that. so, ask him .”</p>
<p>taeyong hesitates for a second. ten’s a great guy, they’ve known each other since high school and considered each other best friends until ten ditched him for doyoung, that traitor. they’re still close despite not seeing each other for two weeks now. taeyong can’t blame him, life as a fashion designer requires ten to be here at the moment and there at the next.</p>
<p>speaking of the devil (literally), the door slams open and ten skips in, a bright beam on his face. he pulls kun into a hug as the other gets out from the counter, pecking his boyfriend’s cheek. taeyong cringes like he’s not envious inside.</p>
<p>“ hello to you too, ex-bestie ,” ten playfully rolls his eyes and extends his hand out, lifting a teasing brow. taeyong scoffs. he remembers their secret hand-shake with ease, and so he does it, though kun shakes his head at their childish behaviour. “ whoa, you remember .”</p>
<p>“ you act like I’m the one who declared doyoung as my best friend after we’ve known each other for decades .”</p>
<p>ten giggles. “ aw, you’re jealous !”</p>
<p>“ hyung, I thought you want to ask him something .” kun butts in, deadpanning both men.</p>
<p>“ ask what ?” </p>
<p>suddenly he regrets it. ten’s nice and means well but he’s called the devil for reasons. taeyong will never hear the end of it if he asks him for relationship advice, and he’s a snitch, surely their other friends would hear it before the sun even sets.</p>
<p>“ you know what, never mind –“</p>
<p>kun sighs, and cuts the oldest off. “ he’s going to ask you about relationship .”</p>
<p>surely enough ten’s eyes sparkle right after kun finishes his sentence. he grins, the devilish smile of him, and it sends shivers down taeyong’s spine for whatever reason. ten leans forward the counter and though he’s a bit shorter than taeyong is, taeyong feels tiny compared to him.</p>
<p>“ so, our big bro finally changed his mind ?”</p>
<p>“ please don’t call me that. taeil’s the oldest .”</p>
<p>“ it doesn’t matter ,” ten waves his hand in front of taeyong’s face, and taeyong shoots kun a help-me look, but the chinese only shrugs. “ I thought you wanted to stay single forever after breaking up with dawon in high school, but it’s fine. you asked the right person, my friend !”</p>
<p>“ so… uh… what’s your suggestion ?”</p>
<p>“ I have some friends, and I think you’ll like them. you can go on a date with one or two, and decide whether you want to take it seriously or not .”</p>
<p>“ is that a good idea ?” kun scrunches his nose. “ you know taeyong here is… a bit shy .”</p>
<p>“ we’re all adults, there’s no need to be shy .” ten says, matter-of-fact. he turns to taeyong again with a look of mischief. “ or if you want, tyong, maybe you can date me and kun instead !”</p>
<p>kun, who looks like he can’t wait to be somewhere else (probably home) right now, rubs his face with his hands. “ no, thanks. I don’t want another idiot as my boyfriend .”</p>
<p>“ um… maybe staying single is better –“</p>
<p>ten shoots him a warning glare. “ don’t you dare ,” he pushes himself off the counter and glances at his watch. “ I have to go now so I’ll text you the details later. try not to chicken out .”</p>
<p>“ we’ll see you later, hyung .”</p>
<p>ten clings to his boyfriend’s arm and waves to taeyong before they both leave. taeyong contemplates about ten’s words for a while before he decides to wrap up and go home, probably take a shower and binge-watch some animes for the rest of the night. </p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>“ so, lemme get this straight ,” doyoung says as he bounces the ball on the court floor. jaehyun comments about something along the lines of <em> you’re not even straight </em> and johnny laughs, smacking his boyfriend. doyoung ignores them and passes the ball to taeyong. “ you asked li yongqin for relationship advice ?”</p>
<p>yuta makes a noise, like a mix of a wheeze and snort, from where he’s standing. “ how desperate are you ?”</p>
<p>“ I know .” taeyong mutters, jumping up to score. the ball barely touches the edges of the ring and goes down through the hoop with ease. if only taeyong’s half good at flirting as he is in basketball, they won’t have this conversation.</p>
<p>“ I mean, to be fair, ten’s good at this stuff since he’s been in lot of relationships but still ,” yuta says after throwing the ball back to jaehyun. “ let me guess, did he suggest you to go on blind dates or something ?”</p>
<p>“ ye – yeah .”</p>
<p>“ did he offer you to be their boyfriend, too ?” doyoung snorts. he knows ten with the back of his hand and taeyong suddenly wishes he hasn’t come today, rather stayed home<br/>
with taeil and their triplets. taeyong doesn’t answer, instead he passes the ball to doyoung without warning, and the younger squawks when it hits his chest.</p>
<p>“ what happened to lila ?” johnny chimes in, wiping his sweat with his tank top, flashing his abs. jaehyun doesn’t try to make his drooling less obvious. “ you know, the college girl who hit on you every time she went to the café .”</p>
<p>“ didn’t he reject her indirectly? when she asked if he’s free or not, your sleep-deprived friend here blurted out her coffee costs 5,000 won .”</p>
<p>sure enough the rest erupt into laughter and taeyong grunts, wants to sink his head into the floor and disappear or something. he decides he has enough of their teasing so he excuses himself, strolling over to the benches and takes a big gulp of his 100-plus.</p>
<p>he whips his phone out, and there’s like twenty new messages from ten. usually ten will spam him with random cats photos he see on the streets, but now his inbox is full with pictures of (undeniably hot) men and women, and while taeyong’s grateful for his help he still haven’t contacted one of them. ten isn’t surprised at all.</p>
<p>taeyong chokes on his drink – alarming his friends who turn to him in confusion and concern – when he sees an unknown number in his inbox, with <em> hi, handsome </em> in lieu of greetings.</p>
<p>“ you alright there, taeyong ?”</p>
<p>he nods at johnny and flashes a fake smile. the others don’t seem too convinced but they turn anyways, leaving taeyong to deal with his little problem.</p>
<p>he stares at the screen for longer than necessary, and turns his phone again when it turns black. this is harder than it should be, taeyong thinks, partially because the person is hot as fuck, and because taeyong’s a noob when it comes to dating. he last dated when he was fifteen, and sure enough he still acts like he is right now, typing and deleting his every words.</p>
<p>at last he sends back, <em> hi, </em> and adds, <em> are you ten’s friend? </em></p>
<p>it’s a stupid question. she clearly is, taeyong has seen her profile before. park jieun, taeyong’s age, works as an accountant in ten’s company, five feet three and was born on 16th july. ten also adds she’s a total dom, and she’ll be a perfect fit for taeyong. taeyong denies it with flushed cheeks.</p>
<p><em> yeah, I am. jieun, but pretty sure you knew already. </em> another message chimes in soon enough. <em> and you’re taeyong, right? you’re cute. </em></p>
<p>taeyong feels like a fifteen years old again, grinning from ear-to-ear. chatting with jieun feels natural and he doesn’t have to put much effort. he likes to think he’s not that awkward, but it doesn’t help that jieun’s such a flirt, and it makes taeyong giddy.</p>
<p>when doyoung smacked his shoulder, taeyong and jieun had already agreed on a date this weekend.</p>
<p>“ you look like a teenager texting his crush, grinning and blushing to yourself. what are you, fourteen ?” jaehyun comments, plopping down next to him. johnny sits on the other side, trying to read his messages but taeyong’s quick to turn his phone off.</p>
<p>“ it's nothing .” he lies.</p>
<p>“ oh come on ,” johnny whines. “ since when do you keep secrets from your best friend ?”</p>
<p>“ you’re not my best friend. ten is .”</p>
<p>doyoung snorts. “ and I’m his, so what’s up ?”</p>
<p>before taeyong could answer, suddenly yuta yanks his phone out of his grip and jumps off the bench, the others following him in tow. taeyong’s too dumb-founded to react for a moment, then gets up and tries to reach for his phone. it’s a waste since his friends are all giants. (or, maybe, he’s a dwarf).</p>
<p>at the same time, another message from jieun chimes in. nothing too flirty, fortunately, just <em> a see you later, </em> but it’s enough to make yuta scream. taeyong curses himself for not having a password.</p>
<p>“ he’s got a date !”</p>
<p>“ wait, that fast ?”</p>
<p>“ I mean, it’s taeyong we’re talking about, he might be dumb but he’s hot ,” doyoung shrugs and takes the phone away. “ what the fuck. okay, <em> she’s </em> hot .”</p>
<p>“ wait until taeil hears this .”<br/>
“ hey, listen, I’m gay, okay? but she’s hot. seriously ."</p>
<p>he shows the picture over to jaehyun and johnny. johnny whistles, fanning himself, and even jaehyun’s gay ass lifts an amazed brow. taeyong snatches his phone on time and pockets it, blushing.</p>
<p>“ whoa, whoa, single lee taeyong no more !”<br/>
“ shut up ,” he hisses. “ are you guys done? I’m hungry ."<br/>
“ sure, sure, keep the lady to yourself ,” johnny slings an arm over his shoulder and grins. “ and yup, we’re done. let’s grab lunch together .”</p>
<p>“ at taeyong’s place ?” jaehyun suggests, and before taeyong could say anything the rest nod in unison.</p>
<p>“ man, it’s been years since I ate homemade meals! hey, taeyong, do you have beef or something ?”</p>
<p>“ maybe we should go for grocery first .”</p>
<p>“ it’s taeyong, man, he always have everything .”</p>
<p>taeyong sighs. “ I didn’t even agree to this ,” he pauses. “ but I do have beef .”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>taeyong is bummed. he’s so bummed. it’s like when he confessed to his crush in high school and he rejected him, because he was straight.  <em> that </em> bummed. while the date had went well (at least in taeyong’s point of view), and jieun’s nice and all, he can’t help but to feel… scared, a bit. okay maybe more than just a bit. it’s not like she’s creepy or all, but intimidating. very.</p>
<p>he wants to date someone he can be comfortable with, not someone who intimidates him.</p>
<p>plus they’re very different, taeyong admits. though some say ‘opposites attract’ but you can’t be with someone who doesn’t have anything in common with you. so yeah. first date? great. second? maybe no.</p>
<p>taeyong huffs and rolls to his back. his phone beeps, signaling a new message. he takes it and it turns out to be johnny, spamming duck pictures he saw at the park this morning in their group chat, and jaehyun replies with love emojis. he cringes. jaehyun is a simp.</p>
<p>yet he’s envious, though. why can’t he has a relationship like jaehyun and johnny, which started as them being oblivious bros, saying ‘no homo’ every time they had a gay moment, even when they almost kissed, until johnny finally confessed.</p>
<p>or maybe like doyoung and taeil’s. with doyoung teasing taeil for his height all the time yet hisses at anyone else who does it, and stares at the older with a fond look when he thinks taeil isn’t looking; being so in love until they chose to get married and have kids. which, honestly, isn’t an easy choice.</p>
<p>not to talk about ten and kun. those two are inseparable. when taeyong whines about being single to kun, the chinese is too busy chatting with his boyfriend to care. they come in a package, where kun goes, ten is there – even when ten’s not invited.</p>
<p>taeyong rolls to his side and stares at his walls. what if <em> he’s </em> the problem? maybe there’s something about him that doesn’t fit. his quirks, maybe? his little noises? his love for small animals? his habit to pout?</p>
<p>he doesn’t know what. and the last time he asked ten, the thai had smacked him (in an affectionate way).</p>
<p>“ don’t be ridiculous ,” ten had said. “ you’re literally the most lovable person on earth. your quirks are cute, so shut up .”</p>
<p>taeyong had whined like a kid again, clinging to his best friend’s arms. “ then why don’t you date me ?”</p>
<p>“ I mean… I’m up, honestly, but kun isn’t, and as much as I love you, I would never break up with him. sorry, tyong .”</p>
<p>in the end, ten spammed him with more potential-date profiles when they got home. some of them messaged him, too. but taeyong hasn’t replied to any of those. he’s not ready yet.</p>
<p>actually, he’s tired. being with humans drain his energy, and it’s been so long since he went out on his own, so taeyong chooses to be alone for a while. maybe being single isn’t that bad…</p>
<p><em> “ you chose to be single, stop complaining to me or I’ll hit you with this pan .” </em> the voice in his head sounds eerily like kun’s, and taeyong grunts again. maybe he’s not meant to be with humans.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>
“ you gonna go – hiking ?”</p>
<p>taeyong nods enthusiastically like a little child asking his mother for candies. johnny scans him carefully, taking a long sip of his black coffee before he turns to yuta. the japanese’s on the other side of the table, reclining against the café’s soft couch and shrugs when johnny shoots him a look.</p>
<p>“ I mean ,” johnny starts, turning to yuta for help yet the other stays silent. “ isn’t it… too dangerous ?”</p>
<p>“ it’s not! I’ve hiked a lot of times, even with you guys before. hiking is easy .”</p>
<p>“ that’s sorta the point… you’ve hiked, with us and others, never alone. it’s risky, tae. the weather lately has been a mess and I don’t think it’s safe to hike at these times .”</p>
<p>“ but john, the forecast said it’ll be sunny !”</p>
<p>yuta snorts. “ never trust the news. not even the goddamn forecast .”</p>
<p>“ thank you, nakamoto. and he’s right. the forecast said yesterday was supposed to be sunny, but it rained all day long .”</p>
<p>“ I’m gonna go next week, john, it’s gonna be fine !”</p>
<p>“ look, even if the weather’s not a problem, I still don’t think it’s a bright idea. I mean you gonna go alone. alone! have everyone in our group go hiking alone ?”</p>
<p>“ nope .” yuta shakes his head.</p>
<p>“ not even taeil, the most reliable and wisest off all ?”</p>
<p>“ nope .” the japanese pops the p, and johnny claps his hands.</p>
<p>“ there! thank you. do you get where I’m going now ?”</p>
<p>taeyong whines, defeated. “ but I’m 25! a grown man. I can manage on my own. and to be fair, taeil hyung never went hiking, not even with us .”</p>
<p>johnny and yuta share another look. the café is at its peak hour since it’s lunch, but since his shift starts in twenty minutes taeyong decides to use it for his own. usually he’ll help even when it’s not his shift; but since convincing yuta and johnny to let him go hiking on his own is taking longer than he likes, he has to stay.</p>
<p>kun walks to their table and places an iced americano and mocha on the table. then, he deadpans taeyong, who immediately straightens. “ look, hyung, I know it’s not your shift yet but I appreciate it if you stop moaning and whining like a kid. you’re gonna scare the costumers away .”</p>
<p>“ thanks ,” yuta says as he takes his mocha. “ and thank you for putting this brat in his place .”</p>
<p>“ I’m not a brat .” taeyong pouts.</p>
<p>“ you are. you can’t go hiking alone, okay? it’s risky .”</p>
<p>“ hiking? at these times ?” kun scrunches his nose in distaste. “ didn’t that one hiker got separated from his group and got kidnapped by a mountain witch or something ?”</p>
<p>taeyong scoffs. “ oh, come on, you believe in witches ?”</p>
<p>“ I heard that one! apparently the witch had claws and fangs and is a cannibal. she ate him raw, that was brutal .” yuta adds, ignoring taeyong’s comment.</p>
<p>“ … witches aren’t real. stop .” taeyong says, not knowing if he’s trying to convince the others or himself.</p>
<p>“ some source said she had his head for breakfast, body for lunch and hands for supper .”</p>
<p>“ stop !” taeyong sinks in his seat, covering his face with his hands, and the trio erupt into laughter. “ you guys are messing with me. witches aren’t real .”</p>
<p>“ maybe. but still, better safe than sorry, eh ?”</p>
<p>kun pats his shoulders and flashes his dimpled-grin before he walks away. they change the topic after that, but the cannibal-witch story sits in taeyong’s head like an ugly warning, even when he’s in bed trying to sleep. he blames his annoying friends for that.</p>
<p>but he’s determined. witches or not, he <em> will </em> go hiking.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>okay… for the first time in forever, johnny and yuta and kun – I mean, johnny and yuta might be right. not kun. he’s <em> always </em> right. and now taeyong hates him for it. hiking alone is a bad idea.</p>
<p>while it didn’t rain like johnny thought it would, taeyong thinks he’s lost. it’s stupid, really, he should’ve double-checked every thing like he always does, but he doesn’t know why he chooses to be clumsy and leaves his gps at home. great. there’s no signal on the mountain, obviously, so he can’t use his phone. plus he scraped his ankle and his legs are worn out by now. not to mention he almost ate poisonous berries. poor taeyong, mother nature makes it worse – because it rains when he chooses to go back to the foothill.</p>
<p>“ fucking great ,” he mutters under his breathe as he takes shelter under a big tree. his ankle is bleeding, and he winces at the sight. “ what next? cannibal-witches coming to eat me ?”</p>
<p>he rambles as he takes a cloth from his bag and wraps it around his wound. it hurts less now because he has put some antiseptic on it. but he doesn’t think he could walk – not that he would in the rain – because the pain’s still there.</p>
<p>taeyong huffs and crosses his arms against his chest. this wouldn’t happen if he accepted the fact he and jieun aren’t meant for each other. sulking over a failed date in his apartment would’ve been way more comfortable than this, whatever this is. this wouldn’t happen if he listened to his friends.</p>
<p>he jumps off the rock he was sitting on when he hears the bushes behind him rustles. taeyong squints his eyes, but to no result. it was too dark to see anything. he could only make the outlines of a figure approaching him. taeyong’s eyes widen and he stands up, dragging his poor leg as much as he could to step away. when he asked for witches it wasn’t literal, goddamnit. mother nature couldn’t take a joke?</p>
<p>he grabs the nearest thing to him – a fucking stick – and uses it as a weapon. “ don’t – don’t come near – near me, whoever you are !”</p>
<p>the figure mumbles something taeyong doesn’t catch. when taeyong doesn’t reply, he steps forward, both hands in the air like he’s saying he means no harm.</p>
<p>“ I said – go away !”</p>
<p>“ hey, it’s – it’s okay ,” the figure – <em> a man? </em> – replies. he stares right into taeyong’s eyes, his left ear twitching like a puppy’s. taeyong would’ve think it’s creepy, plus the man has an elf-like ear, if he isn’t <em> this </em> gorgeous. he looks inhuman. “ it’s… okay. I’m not trying to harm you .”</p>
<p>“ then… why are you here ?” taeyong lowers his stick, trying to study the man’s face for… something. anything that could give him away as a predator. taeyong finds none.</p>
<p>“ I smelt blood .”</p>
<p>taeyong raises his stick once again, hissing, “ the fuck? are you some kind of blood-hungry witches ?”</p>
<p>“ no, no! I meant, I smelt blood from your wound, so I came because you’re clearly injured ,” the man points to taeyong’s ankle. “ look, it’s raining and getting dark, plus you don’t seem like you’re from here. if you come with me to my house, I can treat your injury and offer you something to eat .”</p>
<p>taeyong is skeptical. he should be, of course. if kun was here he’ll give taeyong his <em> are-you-kidding-me </em> look just because he’s considering it. but… hell, honestly speaking, he rather be kidnapped by this handsome stranger than be here alone in the rain, and get eaten by wolfs. if this man isn’t a witch like he thinks, maybe he can even get a warm meal and a nice place to sleep.</p>
<p>plus, damn, this man is hot, what taeyong’s got to lose?</p>
<p>“ you can bring the stick with you if you want, but I promise I’m no harm .” the man adds, sensing taeyong’s hesitation.</p>
<p>“ okay ,” taeyong gulps. “ I’ll come with you .”</p>
<p>the man’s face lights up as he smiles – and taeyong’s entirely convinced he’s not a bad guy. how can someone evil has such a cute smile? it’s not possible.</p>
<p>taeyong shakes his thoughts away and clears his throat. “ but I can’t walk ."</p>
<p>“ that won’t be a problem. why don’t you sit down? I’m sure I saw some herbs here …”</p>
<p>the man continues to ramble in a language taeyong doesn’t understand. it doesn’t sound like a human language at all, but since he’s in this already, taeyong sits down on the rock and watches as the stranger plucks some plants here and there. when the man crouches down in front of him taeyong almost loses his breathe. the sun’s almost sets; yet the remaining sunshine allows taeyong to take a better look of this man. not only his language, even the man himself looks inhuman.</p>
<p>his lashes are long, light purple hair draping to cover his forehead, round cheeks, pointy ears, full pink lips (does he wear lipstick? the color looks so pretty) and his eyes. god, his eyes. if taeyong is any good at literary maybe he would create a poem about this man’s eyes.</p>
<p>taeyong might be dumb because he thinks, he’s attracted to this man.</p>
<p>beauty (taeyong names him that) wraps some leaf over taeyong’s bandage and reads something while massaging it. taeyong’s too awestruck by his beauty to care, and taeyong snaps back to reality only when his hand leaves taeyong’s ankle.</p>
<p>“ it’s done ,” beauty smiles again. “ can you try to stand up ?”</p>
<p>and so taeyong does. he winces a bit, yet the pain is bearable. he has no idea how beauty does that, but then again maybe he should’ve paid more attention in traditional health class.</p>
<p>seeing taeyong limping, beauty rushes to his side. “ are you okay? I can help you walk –“</p>
<p>“ no, it’s okay .” taeyong cuts.</p>
<p>“ are you sure ?”</p>
<p>“ yes. can we go now ?”</p>
<p>beauty nods. he leads the way through the thick forest, often looking back to see if taeyong could catch up, and purposefully slowing down his pace so they can walk side-by-side. taeyong finds it sweet – but he doesn’t know if he could trust this man yet. beauty’s house is in the middle of the forest. it’s awfully creepy, and taeyong can’t stop thinking of cannibal-witches, but his thoughts are cut short when they arrive.</p>
<p>as contrary to taeyong’s imagination, beauty’s house isn’t some old creepy wooden cabin – it’s a cottage. it looks comfy, the ones he read in fairy tales. the lawn is full with plants, and it smells really good, he even spots a few fruit trees outside.</p>
<p>when beauty ushers him in, the sweet smell of peaches hit taeyong’s nostrils almost immediately. the inside is also nice and very comfy, taeyong thinks; it’s nothing too modern yet well-maintained. there’s also succulents in the windowsill and the shelfs, a lot of books, and no tv. seems like beauty is one with the nature. in proper lighting, beauty seems even more ethereal. taeyong’s breathe hitches when he turns to him and smiles, tiny dimples on view.</p>
<p>“ I know this isn’t much, but please make yourself at home ,” he gestures to a door. “ this is your room for tonight. there will be some clothes in the wardrobe, feel free to take a bath and change. I’ll be fixing our dinner .”</p>
<p>“ what – what about my ankle ?”</p>
<p>“ it shall be fine after you take a shower. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me .”</p>
<p>taeyong nods, and dares himself to look up. “ thank – thank you .”</p>
<p>beauty shoots him another smile. and this time, taeyong returns it.</p>
<p>when he takes a bath, he decides beauty is a man of the nature. all the shampoos and soaps are homemade. in fact, there’s no hint that he’s been to a store or anything at all. there’s no technology, except for the lamps and fans, almost everything’s made from wood, and his house is ninety-nine per cent filled with succulents and more succulents.</p>
<p>he doubts beauty even has a phone. it's not like he's sad he couldn't ask for his number, but whatever.</p>
<p>taeyong slides a salmon-hued shirt on, enjoying how his damp hair smell like pure lavender. the whole house smells like flowers and fruits. ten would have a love-hate relationship with beauty, he thinks, because ten hates fruits yet loves flowers. when he rips his bandage off, his wound is perfectly fine, as if he’s never scraped his ankle.</p>
<p>the kitchen is small, yet is enough for the two of them. taeyong wants to help, but beauty refuses to let him, so he sits against the counter as he watches. there’s no stove, and while he thinks it’s weird he doesn’t comment anything.</p>
<p>“ what’s your name ?” he blurts out when beauty is mixing something in the clay-pot.</p>
<p>beauty hesitates. he turns to taeyong, taking off his mittens. “ sicheng ,” he replies. “ I’m sicheng. though my friends call me yun yun .”</p>
<p>“ it’s a cute name .”</p>
<p>“ is it ?”</p>
<p>“ yeah ,” taeyong smiles. he hopes it doesn’t look creepy. “ well, I’m –“</p>
<p>“ don’t tell me .”</p>
<p>“ wha – what ?”</p>
<p>“ don’t tell me your name .” sicheng repeats, firm and stern. he looks at taeyong with an unreadable glance, before he walks past the dumb-founded korean to grab something from the shelf.</p>
<p>taeyong blinks. “ why ?”</p>
<p>sicheng pauses. he stands in front of taeyong, his eyes going everywhere but at the man upon him. when he finally looks at taeyong, taeyong wishes he hasn’t, because his eyes are dark and indecipherable. and when he answers, he leaves taeyong with more questions.</p>
<p>“ telling your name means you’re giving yourself to me .”</p>
<p>“ what ,” taeyong takes longer than he’s supposed to, then blinks again. “ what ?”</p>
<p>“ you don’t have to understand ,” and the next second, sicheng’s expression back to soft. “ dinner is ready .”</p>
<p>he marches to the dining room with a beam, leaving a confused taeyong in the kitchen. taeyong shakes his head. maybe he shouldn’t think of it, perhaps sicheng’s messing around with him or genuinely couldn’t care less about his name. taeyong sits across sicheng, eyeing the man with curiousity. he knows they’ve only met for an hour or so, and sicheng saved his life in a way, but he’s having mixed feelings about him. he’s… weird, a bit.</p>
<p>how can he heal taeyong’s wound completely only using herbs? and what does he mean with the <em> giving yourself to me </em> thing? even his house is suspicious, right in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by trees and more trees as far as the eyes could see.</p>
<p>“ eat this ,” sicheng’s sweet voice brings him back to reality. “ you have to eat, then you can sleep. you look worn out .”</p>
<p>“ thank you .”</p>
<p>it’s meat, thanks god, because taeyong will die if he doesn’t get any meat to eat. smells very aromatic, too. lots of herbs and spices, he thinks. he takes a spoonful of soup and some bits of the meat, chewing them slowly before he swallows. it’s an unique explosion of flavours in his throat. he never tasted something kin to this before, not even in kun’s cooking, but it’s really good, it reminds him of his grandma’s. </p>
<p>sicheng watches him, smiling. “ it’s mutton. I hope it’s not too bland ?”</p>
<p>“ no, not at all ,” taeyong shakes his head. “ it’s the polar opposite. and it’s delicious, really .”</p>
<p>“ I’m glad .”</p>
<p>and sicheng smiles again – taeyong feels like he could melt into a puddle.</p>
<p>sicheng also gives him some pomegranate juice before taeyong excuses himself to sleep. it tastes good, and all-natural, and when taeyong comments about it sicheng takes it as a hint for him to give taeyong another bottle to bring to bed. taeyong doesn’t complain. he likes how sicheng’s passionate about food.</p>
<p>when he lies in the guest bed, staring into the ceiling with the night breeze softly brushing against the curtains, he realizes maybe hiking alone isn’t that bad. it leads him to sicheng.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>taeyong wakes up to birds chirping.</p>
<p>it’s strange, since he’s used to have his alarm clock and cars honking as the first things he hears when he wakes up. but it’s soothing. the atmosphere reminds him of his grandparents’ farm house. he rolls out of bed and gets up, stretching his hands out. it’s only eight a.m. yet the sun is up. taeyong smiles as he opens the window, breathing the fresh air in, letting the breeze brushes against his skin. there’s no loud neighbours or dogs barking.</p>
<p>he could get used to this.</p>
<p>then it hits him. he has been missing for 24 hours now, and he promised ten to text him every hour before he went; the others must’ve panicked by now. he takes his bag and sits on the end of the bed, unzipping it and whips his phone out.</p>
<p>still no signal. he huffs and tosses it away, taking a tee and shorts out instead. well, he can worry about that later, now he wants to shower. when he gets out of the  room, the house is empty. there’s no sicheng in sight. he decides to check in the kitchen, and while sicheng’s not there, there’s a note on the table.</p>
<p>
  <em> good morning, I’m out gardening in the back, but I’ve made some cookies for breakfast.</em>
</p>
<p>taeyong folds the paper back before averting his gaze to the jar filled with chocolate-chip cookies. it’s a wonder how sicheng could bake with no oven or even some ingredients, like flour, but he doesn’t dwell on it. taeyong takes one and his tastebuds are send to heaven almost immediately. sicheng’s admittedly very good at cooking.</p>
<p>after one (or two) more cookies, taeyong decides to make himself useful and go to check on sicheng. while he knows sicheng must be a professional at gardening, it doesn’t hurt to have another pair of hands to help. plus, sicheng helped him, this is the least he could do.</p>
<p>he spots the man in the backyard, standing upon a strawberry tree. sicheng’s beautiful under the sun, his sweat-covered honey skin glistening with his eyes reflecting the sunlight, as he hums a song under his breath. for whatever reason taeyong feels his heartbeat picks up when he walks to the other. </p>
<p>sicheng notices him and smiles. “ you woke up ,” he says. before taeyong could even think of what to answer, he takes a strawberry out of the basket he’s holding and hands it to taeyong. “ here. taste this, it’s good .”</p>
<p>“ um. shouldn’t I wash it first ?” taeyong asks, despite accepting it.</p>
<p>“ it’s okay. they’re all clean, don’t worry .”</p>
<p>taeyong isn’t so sure. yet he complies, and he can say for sure the strawberry is sweeter than the other ones he had in his entire life. maybe because it’s fresh? or maybe it’s because of the smile sicheng flashes as he watches him.</p>
<p>“ how’s it ?”</p>
<p>“ it’s good ,” taeyong says through full-mouth. “ like, really good. it’s so sweet .”</p>
<p>“ great. you can take some more if you want .”</p>
<p>taeyong finishes the one in his hand, and stares in silence as sicheng plucks out more strawberries. he scans the backyard. the garden is huge, and there’s a lot of trees, he wonders how sicheng could work on them all alone. he must be so dedicated.</p>
<p>“ how many kind of fruits do you plant ?” taeyong asks, crossing his arm. the sun is shining, yet he doesn’t feel hot at all.</p>
<p>“ well ,” sicheng contemplates for a second. “ there’s apples, mulberries, lychees and lemons… and yeah, pomegranates .”</p>
<p>“ wow. that’s a lot of work .”</p>
<p>sicheng shrugs. “ I have nothing else to do. besides, if you haven’t figured out, I love fruits .”</p>
<p>“ can I help ?” taeyong offers, a glint of enthusiasm in his bright eyes.</p>
<p>“ I don’t think I should make a guest do work …”</p>
<p>“ oh, please, you saved me and even gave a great hospitality. I should’ve done more .”</p>
<p>“ it’s nothing, really. I don’t want to trouble you. besides I’m afraid you –“</p>
<p>“ lack of experience ?” taeyong fills in, and sicheng gives him a tight smile. “ I know it doesn’t look like it but I’m actually experienced, okay? my grandparents own a farm and I used to help them .”</p>
<p>“ oh really? what did they grow ?”</p>
<p>“ lots of mangoes. and watermelons. there’s even the cube-shaped ones, I remember how excited my friends were when I showed them .”</p>
<p>sicheng giggles and his eyes crinkle. taeyong tries not to stare. “ how old were you then ?”</p>
<p>“ … eight? nine, maybe .” okay, it sounds silly after saying it out loud. maybe that’s too young to be useful. “ but I still help when I drop by !”</p>
<p>“ right. I’m sure you’re helpful .” sicheng smiles, genuine, yet taeyong can’t help but to feel offended. maybe because it sounds like some sarcasm ten always say.</p>
<p>“ I still want to help, though !”</p>
<p>“ hm… I’ve been thinking of planting peach trees ,” sicheng nods to an empty land on his left. “ maybe… you can help on that ?”</p>
<p>“ sure !” taeyong beams.</p>
<p>“ plant the pits about three-four inches deep and then cover it with an inch of mulch. there should be a trowel or shovel somewhere there… oh, and wear gloves .”</p>
<p>“ should I fertilize them, too ?”</p>
<p>“ no, peaches need to be fertilized after a week. just water them a bit. if you need any help, I’m over here .”</p>
<p>taeyong nods and goes to work immediately. the garden reminds him of his grandparents’ farm. it smells like rain, and wood; the soil under his shoes is also damp, even if it wasn’t raining. once or twice he looks back to sicheng, and surely enough the other would smile every time taeyong meets his eyes. in the middle of his garden, sicheng looks like a mythical creature.</p>
<p>although it’s hot and he’s drenched in sweat, taeyong admits gardening is refreshing, especially when it’s been months since he’s last done it. he’s going on a steady pace and has planted maybe seven or eight pits when sicheng calls out for him.</p>
<p>“ I think that’s enough ,” sicheng smiles and hands out a basket of lychees. “ here, as my token of gratitude .”</p>
<p>“ you haven’t have to, sicheng .”</p>
<p>“ I think I do. it’s been two hours and you have to eat. plus, I think it’s all for today. let’s get in, and you can clean yourself up .”</p>
<p>taeyong doesn’t refute. he walks inside, side-by-side with sicheng, sneaking a few glances at the other. sicheng doesn’t looks like he’s walking when he is. it’s more like as if he’s floating, flying even. or maybe it’s the way he carries himself with confidence. when they’re inside does taeyong realize how tired he is. yes, he feels good to work his muscles and connect with nature for once, but it comes with side effects. he stretches his arms, wincing a bit.</p>
<p>“ are you okay ?” sicheng asks. only then does taeyong realize he’s actually watching him.</p>
<p>“ yea – yeah, I’m fine! just… a bit sore, that’s it .”</p>
<p>sicheng frowns. “ I shouldn’t have let you plant the peaches .”</p>
<p>“ what? no, no, it’s okay. it’s been a while since I did something so productive, that’s all .”</p>
<p>sicheng isn’t convinced. but he nods, eyes travelling up and down on taeyong’s body, and taeyong’s deluded mind thought he was checking him out for a second – until sicheng speaks up.</p>
<p>“ do you mind if I massage you ?”</p>
<p>“ wha – what ?”</p>
<p>“ I’m not trynna be weird ,” sicheng raises his hands, defensive. “ you look like you could use some massage, anyway .”</p>
<p>and he’s right. taeyong hates to admit this, because then doyoung would go on calling him a workaholic, but he has craved for a massage for months. the last time he got a massage was from yuta, and it wasn’t a proper one before it turned into a wrestling session and left taeyong’s muscles strained once again. but it’s kinda weird, because they’ve only known for less than two days and not to mention sicheng’s awfully attractive. it makes taeyong nervous. though… what’s he nervous for? it’s just a massage. it’s not like he’s gonna be naked or something.</p>
<p>“ okay .”</p>
<p>“ o – okay ?”</p>
<p>“ yeah, okay. you’re right, I could use some massage .”</p>
<p>if he’s not mistaken, sicheng’s face lightens up a tiny bit. he tells taeyong to follow him to his bedroom, and it makes the other even more nervous. sicheng’s room is the same size as the guest’s, the walls painted in beige and light cream. there’s a bookshelf and a study table, books scattered all over it, with his queen-sized bed neatly made. it’s clean and dust-free. taeyong thinks his friends could learn a thing or two from sicheng.</p>
<p>sicheng gestures to the bed and taeyong hesitates before he sits on the end of it. the sheets are soft under his fingertips, like they’re newly-washed, and taeyong shakes his dirty thoughts away.</p>
<p>“ wait a sec, I think I have my oils somewhere here …”</p>
<p>he turns to the other, regretting it instantly. sicheng’s bent over by his nightstand, rummaging through the drawers with a concentrated pout on his beautiful, full lips. taeyong tugs at his collar nervously, eyes scanning sicheng’s room because he doesn’t want to be a pervert.</p>
<p>“ found it ,” sicheng announces, plopping down next to taeyong with a bottle of lavender essential oil in his hand, and taeyong’s heart palpitates even faster. he’s not even this nervous when he went to dawon’s room for the first time. “ do you… um… mind taking your shirt off ?”</p>
<p>taeyong blinks. suddenly he can’t think. “ what ?”</p>
<p>“ um… it’s better if you’re… shirtless. I don’t know how to explain this .”</p>
<p>okay. now it’s weird. to be fair, though, he still won’t be naked, but that means sicheng will be touching his bare skin. taeyong has only dated girls despite being a bisexual since he’s thirteen, and damn, it might’ve somehow got to him because he’s way more awkward with boys than he’d like to admit.</p>
<p>“ you… you don’t have to do it if you’re not comfortable .” sicheng pipes in, looking at taeyong with genuine concern.</p>
<p>“ it’s ,” taeyong loses his voice for a split second when his eyes meet sicheng’s. “ okay .”</p>
<p>sicheng nods. he stares at taeyong before tilting his head, and taeyong clicks his tongue as he finally takes it as cue for him to move, so he does. taeyong slides his tee off in ease, feeling the breeze on his bare body right after. his body isn’t exactly muscled or defined like jaehyun’s or johnny’s – though not as lanky as yuta is. it’s not something he’s proudest of, and definitely not something he’ll show to strangers or to the crowd, thus explains why he always wears a shirt when he goes swimming. ten always tell him it’s a great body, but taeyong never listens.</p>
<p>not until he sees the way sicheng’s cheeks turn the faintest shade of pink. the other is scanning his body, like taking his every curve and scars in, implanting them into his mind. sicheng’s pink lips agape the slightest bit, and he looks away shyly.</p>
<p>it makes taeyong realize, maybe taeyong has the same effect on sicheng like the other has on him.</p>
<p>feeling a sudden jolt of confidence, taeyong leans in closer and raises a brow teasingly. “ like what you see ?”</p>
<p>“ wha – what ?” sicheng makes a strangled noise, and speaks in a language taeyong doesn’t understand, again. he stops himself when taeyong stares at him and his cheeks flush redder. “ never mind. lie down on your back .”</p>
<p>taeyong complies. it’s like sicheng has him casted under a spell; whatever he says, taeyong will listen without giving much thought into it. the korean tenses a bit when the bed shifts as sicheng adjusts, kneeling on taeyong’s side to get a comfortable position. when he’s satisfied, sicheng uncaps the bottle and squeezes a generous amount into his palm, and taeyong could smell the lavender from miles away.</p>
<p>slowly but surely, sicheng starts his work. it’s awkward at first because sicheng hesitates, but then he closes his eyes and runs his hands all over taeyong’s back, memorizing all the important points from muscle memory.</p>
<p>it’s magical, how sicheng’s feather-like touches could wash taeyong’s tiredness off to the horizon. he’s barely getting started yet taeyong already feels like he’s in heaven. sicheng’s knuckle presses against his ribs, applying the lightest pressure on it, and taeyong bites back a moan.</p>
<p><em> fuck, taeyong. </em> the korean cusses himself as he sinks his head into the pillow, praying sicheng won’t think he’s a creep or something.</p>
<p>sicheng giggles. “ you’re so tense. relax .”</p>
<p>sicheng’s touch is a bliss. it’s obvious he knows what he’s doing, as if he knows which parts of taeyong’s body need more attention and which ones need lesser. he stops only to squeeze more oil on his hands.</p>
<p>taeyong’s about to drift off when sicheng speaks, “ how’s your ankle ?”</p>
<p>“ my… my ankle? oh, um, right. it’s fine. I have no idea how you did that but it works wonders. are you a witch or something ?”</p>
<p>sicheng smiles. “ maybe .”</p>
<p>the light, airy tone in sicheng’s voice tells taeyong he’s joking, yet he can’t help but to panic when he remembers the story his friends told him. but could someone as cute as sicheng be an evil witch, a cannibal one at that? then it clicks. his friends, that what’s, or rather who, he should worry about.</p>
<p>“ um ,” he clears his throat. “ odd question but… do you know how I could contact my friends? they, um, must freaked out by now .”</p>
<p>“ your friends ?” sicheng scrunches his nose up, thinking.</p>
<p>“ is there like… a signal somewhere ?”</p>
<p>“ I’m afraid not. I mean, it’s a jungle. I think you could get one or two bars at the foothill, if you’re lucky, but it’s rain season so I doubt that .”</p>
<p>“ do you think I can go home anytime soon, then ?”</p>
<p>“ sorry, but I rather you don’t. as I said, it’s rain season and it could get real… slippery. plus, if you hurt yourself again I won’t be there to help .”</p>
<p>taeyong pouts and sinks back into the pillow. “ my friends gonna kill me when I get back .”</p>
<p>“ don’t be so bummed, big guy ,” sicheng chuckles, his hands sliding down taeyong’s shoulder, and taeyong shivers slightly. “ I’m sure it’s gonna end soon. rain seasons don’t last long here, just a few weeks. you can go home soon. until then, you’re safe with me .”</p>
<p>“ I don’t know about that… I mean, you can be a witch. or a cannibal. or both .”</p>
<p>“ I’m not a cannibal, rest assured. sheeps are tastier than humans .”</p>
<p>“ you just implied you tasted humans !”</p>
<p>“ did I? well, maybe once .” sicheng giggles when taeyong glares at him. “ I’m kidding !”</p>
<p>taeyong rests his head on the pillows once again, snuggling into them. he lets sicheng works his magic on his back in silence, with sicheng humming some songs under his breathe, his fingertips drumming against taeyong’s bare back. as opposed to taeyong’s thoughts, it doesn’t feel weird at all. it feels natural.</p>
<p>when he’s half-way knocked out, he murmurs, “ sicheng ?”</p>
<p>“ mhm ?”</p>
<p>“ thank you .”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>sicheng is a fae.</p>
<p>no, this time taeyong’s not using it as a metaphor. he <em> is </em> a fairy, a real one, and it explains everything. it explains why he’s so inhumanly beautiful, and why taeyong giving his name to him means ‘giving himself over’ (taeyong still told him his name after that, to sicheng’s chagrin). it also explains why he lives in the middle of the forest with books and plants and no technology.</p>
<p>and he has wings. the texture is kin to a butterfly’s, but the color is dull, like a moth’s – almost transparent. and since he’s not fond of flying, sicheng keeps them folded into his back most of the times. the first time taeyong’s seen him shirtless, he barely noticed it if sicheng hasn’t opened them out of all sudden to scare the shit out of his boyfriend.</p>
<p>(yes, boyfriend, because taeyong decides he’s insane if he doesn’t fall in love with this man after three weeks being stuck together, and, thankfully, sicheng feels the same.)</p>
<p>the second time, sicheng lets taeyong touch them. he flinches a bit, because nobody has touched them for so long, and taeyong becomes even more careful after that. he strokes the outline, his fingertips barely touching them as he gapes in awe when sicheng flaps them.</p>
<p>“ don’t be shy, yong ,” he giggles at his boyfriend whose mouth wide open like a little child drooling over candies. “ you can touch them, I mean it .”</p>
<p>“ they’re very gorgeous. but I prefer to do this .”</p>
<p>sicheng yelps when taeyong pulls him onto the – <em> their </em> bed out of all sudden, with sicheng atop taeyong. taeyong wraps his arms around the younger’s waist to hold him, his chin resting on the crook of sicheng’s neck, and the fae squirms because he’s ticklish there and taeyong’s fully aware. but it’s awfully adorable and taeyong can’t resist. he peppers sicheng’s neck with kisses, whispering praises into his ears as he tightens his grip around sicheng’s waist. sicheng giggles, the color red adorns his beautiful face whilst he struggles his way out of taeyong’s embrace to lie down next to him. when he succeeds, taeyong stares at him with a fond look as his fingers trail over sicheng’s bare upper body.</p>
<p>sicheng’s beautiful. he said that thousands times and he’ll say it thousands more.</p>
<p>“ why do you stare at me like that ?” sicheng asks, and even in the dark taeyong knows his boyfriend must look like a cherry by now. for someone who’s ethereal, sicheng is shy.</p>
<p>“ because you’re beautiful ,” taeyong whispers, caressing sicheng’s cheek. the room’s dark and there’s only the moon as their source of light, yet sicheng’s eyes shine brighter than thousands of stars. “ and I love you .”</p>
<p>sicheng whines adorably, probably cussing his boyfriend in fae language, again, and taeyong laughs. he hates it whenever taeyong gets sappy. when taeyong confessed, he wrote a whole song and sang it to sicheng, and the other shut him up by shoving a whole peach into his mouth.</p>
<p>well, it’s worth it considering he got to taste sicheng’s peach.</p>
<p>“ stop being so emotional. by the way, I’m hungry. it’s your turn to cook dinner !”</p>
<p>“ but I still don’t know how to cook using a fairy’s kitchen! in case you forgot, I’m a human, babe .”</p>
<p>“ that’s your excuse. last time I was mad at you, you cooked for yourself just fine. and you didn’t even saved me some .”</p>
<p>“ that was one time, and I still don’t know how I did that, okay ?”</p>
<p>“ excuses ,” sicheng scoffs. “ get off me. I want to eat .”</p>
<p>taeyong laughs, attacking sicheng with kisses before he eventually lets him go (after being kicked by his boyfriend in the crotch). sicheng sits up and slides his – taeyong’s tee on, sending the last glare towards taeyong’s direction before he gets up and leaves to the kitchen. taeyong watches as he goes, smiling from an ear-to-ear.</p>
<p>he gets up himself not long after that. his whole body is sticky and sweaty because – well, because of their recent activity (<em> gardening, </em> mind you) – and he decides to take a shower. just a quick body wash before he changes, and off to the kitchen to annoy his beloved boyfriend. sicheng’s pouting (taeyong tries not to awe at this) while throwing some sliced onions into the pan, mixing them with black pepper spice. it’s admirable how his kitchen never not smells like spices. taeyong has a hard time deciding if sicheng’s more into savoury meals or sweet treats, but sicheng said he likes all things edible.</p>
<p>he sneaks his arms around sicheng’s petite waist and hooks his chin into the crook of sicheng’s neck. the fairy scoffs and ignores him, continuing his work while taeyong whines in his ears. taeyong huffs – but he knows his boyfriend’s weakness, luckily.</p>
<p>sicheng’s body’s a temple and sicheng’s the god which its devoted to, but taeyong’s the loyal worshipper. and he knows just well where’s sicheng’s most ticklish spot is: his nape.<br/>
taeyong bends and kisses the said spot, and sure enough sicheng squirms and tries to push him away. his boyfriend doesn’t budge. instead, he keeps kissing the spot and even licking it a bit.</p>
<p>“ lee taeyong !” sicheng finally turns around, huffing. his lips are pouty and taeyong wants to kiss them. “ stop it, I’m trying to cook .”</p>
<p>“ are you mad at me ?”</p>
<p>“ if you keep on kissing me, I will be. go sit on a stool and eat a peach, or something .”</p>
<p>taeyong leans in, smiling. “ kiss me first .”</p>
<p>“ you’re so clingy, you know that ?”</p>
<p>despite his words, sicheng leans forward and gives taeyong a chaste kiss on the lips. taeyong grins before he complies, plopping down onto a stool as he watches the fairy cook, and filling his tummy with some peaches and berries.</p>
<p>“ can I ask you something ?” he blurts out, mid-way through another peach. thanks to sicheng’s spells, the peaches bloomed way earlier than they’re supposed to.</p>
<p>“ sure .”</p>
<p>“ what was it like before? I mean, before me ?” he pauses, studying sicheng’s reaction. the fairy’s back is turned to him but he could see him stiffening. “ weren’t you… lonely ?”</p>
<p>“ no. not really, I mean yeah I was alone but not exactly lonely. I have friends, you know .”</p>
<p>“ fairy friends ?”</p>
<p>“ that, nymphs and pixies… I – I knew a human once. before you .”</p>
<p>this piqued up taeyong’s interest. “ really ?”</p>
<p>“ yes. seven, six years ago. I don’t really remember… he was – he used to go to the creeks and paint, and that’s where I met him .” sicheng’s voice is calm, collected, but taeyong could tell there’s a whole story behind his words. he wonders what. but there’s also a glint of sadness in sicheng’s words, so taeyong doesn’t pry on it, instead nods and lets the topic drops.</p>
<p>“ but ,” sicheng regains his composure, turning to taeyong with a small smile. “ it doesn’t matter. I have you now, don’t I ?”</p>
<p>taeyong grins. he gets up, pulling his boyfriend to a hug and swings him around, sicheng’s petite body being a definite plus. sicheng yelps and giggles, crinkling his eyes like crescent-moon, and taeyong’s so in love.</p>
<p>“ <em> I’m </em> the sappy one here, okay .” he says and leaves a kiss on top of sicheng’s head.</p>
<p>“ fine, big guy. now are you gonna help me set the table or are you fine eating peaches all night long ?”</p>
<p>“ I rather eat your peach .”</p>
<p>this earns taeyong a smack on the head. (don’t worry, sicheng heals him with a kiss on the forehead.)</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>“ you idiot ,” sicheng sighs. “ big, big idiot .”</p>
<p>he shakes his head when taeyong pouts at him. it’s past noon, the sun shining bright at her peak with clouds surrounding her. the atmosphere was serene, quiet – until taeyong somehow burnt his hand with the hot stones sicheng was gonna use for massage. the fairy sits down on the couch next to him, taking taeyong’s hand in between both of his. the burn is ugly, big pinkish-white spots on taeyong’s forearm, a prominent flaw on taeyong’s beautiful skin. sicheng runs his hand through it and taeyong’s skin tingles.</p>
<p>he murmurs something under his breath, eyes flickering up to meet taeyong’s, and taeyong’s so captivated in his orbs that he doesn’t realize the burn is gone. when he looks down he blinks, confusion clear on his face. sicheng giggles and pecks his cheek.</p>
<p>“ how ?” is all he blurts out.</p>
<p>“ practice ,” sicheng hums. “ the real question is, how did you burn yourself with the stones ?”</p>
<p>“ I was… I tried to – I mean. I was curious, okay? you touched them just fine so I …” taeyong trails off, looking away.</p>
<p>sicheng smiles. “ you’re an idiot, yong. be more careful. I won’t always be here with you .”</p>
<p>taeyong stops. turns to look at sicheng, yet the smile on the fae’s face doesn’t falter. contrary to his heart-warming smile, his words sting, sit in the back of taeyong’s mind like a reminder. a reminder that one day, taeyong has to leave.</p>
<p>seeing taeyong’s frown, sicheng pinches his cheek, giggling when his boyfriend yelps in pain. he caresses it right after though, so taeyong forgives him. and because he’s adorable. but that’s not the point. sicheng leans his head on taeyong’s shoulder and hums as he rubs circles on his boyfriend’s arm. they sit like that for a while. taeyong stares at the yellow flower (name unbeknownst to taeyong) on the windowsill, the wind brushing softly against petals, then to the book on the table, left opened, the one sicheng was reading before taeyong came whining to him like a kid.</p>
<p>“ what happened to the man ?”</p>
<p>sicheng scrunches his nose and smiles, confused. “ what man ?”</p>
<p>“ your human friend, I mean ,” taeyong turns to the other. sicheng’s face evidently crumples, before it goes blank. “ what happened? how did you guys grow apart? did he leave you ?”</p>
<p>“ one at a time, yong .” sicheng pinches his arm.</p>
<p>“ sorry .”</p>
<p>“ and… no, he didn’t leave me. it was… mutual, I guess. we decided it couldn’t work .”</p>
<p>“ what couldn’t ?” taeyong trails off, hoping for sicheng to fill in the blanks.</p>
<p>sicheng looks away, hesitant. “ our relationship ,” he replies at last, voice soft. “ I was… in love… with him .”</p>
<p>taeyong doesn’t know how to reply to that. should he feel envious? but what for? maybe a bit pitiful sicheng lost a friend because of a failed relationship, but also nervous and scared. afraid if they’ll turn the same.</p>
<p>“ oh .”</p>
<p>sicheng grits his teeth. “ yeah… not my favourite story ,” he shrugs. “ ask me something else, yong .”</p>
<p>“ um. I don’t know, I have no questions .”</p>
<p>“ nonsense, you always do .”</p>
<p>“ I asked you all of them !”</p>
<p>“ come on, gotta be something else. could be about faes, the jungle, the creek – something. doesn’t have to be about me .”</p>
<p>taeyong thinks hard. he thinks back of all the stories he’s read about faeries, the way they live and how they act. most of them are pretty creepy, to be honest. he doesn’t believe in them anymore after meeting sicheng. oh, yeah. there’s one.</p>
<p>“ so ,” he clears his throat, turning to sicheng with excitement in his eyes, like he always does when he asks sicheng something and the other, gladly, fills him with information that sometimes overflows. “ you know, I’ve read stories when a human asks for help from a fairy, they always ask something in return… wealth, or sometimes… firstborns ?”</p>
<p>“ that’s a cliché. we sometimes help people because we want to, you know .”</p>
<p>“ I know but, it’ll be fair if I give you something in return too, won’t it ?”</p>
<p>“ like what? a pink leaf that you stole from my garden because you never seen a pink leaf before ?” sicheng cocks a brow. “ or a tiny frog you kidnapped from its mother while I’m, in fact, afraid of them ?”</p>
<p>“ to be fair, I’ve had good intentions! those were supposed to be a gift .” taeyong pouts. “ how come am I supposed to know the pink tree is actually yours? or that you’re afraid of frogs ?”</p>
<p>sicheng grins, ghosting his lips atop taeyong’s nose. “ I forgive you because you’re cute ,” he pecks it at last and taeyong smiles. “ but seriously, what do you have to offer, my humble servant ?”</p>
<p>“ a firstborn .”</p>
<p>“ what ?” sicheng snorts. “ yong, I love you but I don’t want another baby frog .”</p>
<p>“ no, I mean – my firstborn. and yours, too .”</p>
<p>sicheng’s brown eyes are rich. it reminds taeyong of earth, and soil; deep and dark and full of life. when he smiles, flowers bloom in them. the earth quakes when he cries. when he shakes with rage, the soil shall be your grave. right now, though, there’s a thunderstorm in his eyes.</p>
<p>the fairy’s cheeks turn red as he looks away. they look kin to cherries and his nose looks like the peaches taeyong planted. it’s cute, having so many colors on his beautiful honey canvas.</p>
<p>“ urm. uh, to – to be fair, the plants count as firstborns too, because they, um, are alive, and grow from sprouts ,” taeyong awes at sicheng’s stutters and it makes the fairy blushes harder. “ so. your debt’s paid .”</p>
<p>“ I beg to differ. plants and children are nothing alike, so… I still have to pay .”</p>
<p>“ no – no! it’s okay, you helped quite a lot… plus, you’re my boyfriend .”</p>
<p>“ it’s the rules, isn’t it ?”</p>
<p>sicheng meets his eyes and if taeyong doesn’t mistaken the other shrinks under his gaze. “ the thing is… I’m – I’m a ,” sicheng’s barely audible now, stuttering and stumbling upon his words. taeyong smiles. “ I’m a birthgiver .” he blurts out, looking down as he fidgets with his fingers.</p>
<p>“ a… what ?”</p>
<p>“ a birthgiver. as in, I can get pregnant. in some cases, male fairies can be born as birthgivers and I’m, well, one of them .”</p>
<p>taeyong blinks. “ well ,” he pauses and his lips spread into a sultry smile. sicheng lets him drop his hand atop his. “ that’s good. I mean, you don’t expect <em> me </em> to get pregnant right ?”</p>
<p>“ I know but …”</p>
<p>“ but ?”</p>
<p>“ I’m not ready .” sicheng confesses, covering his face with his hands.</p>
<p>taeyong grins. sicheng is fucking adorable.</p>
<p>he tries to take sicheng’s hands away yet the other whines and tells taeyong to leave him alone. taeyong chuckles and scoots even closer, carefully cupping sicheng’s cheeks in his face.</p>
<p>“ hey, sicheng, sweetheart, it’s okay. look at me. it’s fine, it’s okay, baby buns ,” he coos in a soft voice and sicheng looks up to him through his long lashes; taeyong’s heart palpitates. “ it’s fine, really. I was joking, okay? if you’re not ready we don’t have to do it .”</p>
<p>sicheng sobs and taeyong pulls him closer, slinging and arm over him. “ really ?”</p>
<p>“ yes, baby. it’s okay. besides, I don’t think I’m ready to be a father of human-fae baby .”</p>
<p>sicheng giggles and taeyong smiles. he strokes sicheng’s hair and pecks the top of his head. by now, the earthquake in sicheng’s eyes have stopped, replaced by the pretty flowers and sparkles.</p>
<p>“ I love you ,” the fae mumbles, leaning his head on taeyong’s shoulder once again. “ really do .”</p>
<p>“ likewise, baby buns .” taeyong smiles.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>it’s raining since dawn. taeyong wanted to go out to pluck some peaches for sicheng, yet he has to stay in. the atmosphere is too cold to do anything productive either, so he decides to cuddle with sicheng in bed. the fae’s sleeping in his arms. his chest moves up and down when he breathes, and he squeaks every now and then. sicheng stirs yet doesn’t wake when taeyong caresses his cheek. taeyong pecks his forehead, smiling.</p>
<p>he averts his attention to the windowsill. the yellow flower (which taeyong still doesn’t know its name) has begin to wilt. petals fell down one-by-one and taeyong frowns.</p>
<p>“ don’t worry, it’s magical ,” sicheng had said when taeyong first asked him. “ it wilts when months change .”</p>
<p>today, it’s been a month.</p>
<p>a month since he came here. a month since sicheng took him in. a month since he left his home. he wonders how the others are doing. do they still worry about him? maybe they think he’s dead. but then again he knows how they are,  they won’t believe it unless they see taeyong’s own corpse in front of them.</p>
<p>he misses them. misses johnny, yuta, jaehyun, doyoung, taeil, kun and ten. never in his life he thought he’ll say this but he does. maybe his friends miss him too.</p>
<p>taeyong’s brought back to reality when sicheng yawns and rubs his eyes. he smiles, stares at the fae with hearts in his eyes. sicheng looks like a kitten.</p>
<p>“ good morning, cheng .”</p>
<p>“ morning ,” sicheng’s voice is hoarse from the nap. he wraps his bare leg around taeyong and pulls him closer, snuggling into taeyong’s chest. “ did I sleep long ?”</p>
<p>taeyong hums, playing with sicheng’s grape locks. “ not really .”</p>
<p>“ you were awake ,” sicheng looks up to him. “ what you’re thinking about ?”</p>
<p>“ about how you look like a kitten when you sleep, especially when you hiccup .”</p>
<p>pink taints sicheng’s cheeks and he smacks taeyong’s chest gently. taeyong chuckles, lifts his boyfriend’s chin up, and peppers kisses all over his beautiful face. sicheng whines yet gives in. kisses. it’s like angels smothered sicheng’s face with kisses, thus earning its rosy colors.</p>
<p>taeyong catches sicheng off-guard when he kisses his on the lips this time. it’s short, just a chaste peck. when they part, sicheng pauses – then grabs taeyong and tilts his head so he can kiss him slower, deeper. sicheng’s mouth taste like mint.</p>
<p>“ relax ,” taeyong laughs, airy and out-of-breathe while he pulls away. sicheng whines. “ what’s with the sudden clinginess? did you miss me ?”</p>
<p>sicheng remains silent. his look is indecipherable. he looks at taeyong through his lashes; his eyes calm, like a desert.</p>
<p>“ I dreamt of you .” he says.</p>
<p>“ really? what happened ?”</p>
<p>“ we were having a picnic. then you said you have something to tell me ,” sicheng explains, staring right into taeyong’s eyes. “ and I woke up .”</p>
<p>sicheng knows. there’s no need to hide it anymore, taeyong thinks. he’s seen this coming. should’ve known better than to fall in love with a fae, but here they are – so they must face the consequences. it’s time to face taeyong’s biggest nightmare: separation.</p>
<p>“ I have to leave .”</p>
<p>taeyong heaves out a sigh. he took it out, the burden on his shoulders should’ve felt lighter, but they instead turn stronger and crush him down he couldn’t even breathe when he meets sicheng’s eyes. there’s no thunderstorms or earthquakes, yet it’s silent and mournful, like the earth after a rain. at the same time, the soft pitter-patters of rain outside stops. there’s a tension in the atmosphere and taeyong couldn’t stand it, couldn’t bear the look in sicheng’s eyes. he sits upright, leaning against the headboard, while sicheng remains lying.</p>
<p>“ I have to, sicheng. my friends worry about me, I need to go back ,” he adds, his hand finding its way to sicheng’s arm. “ but I will come back, to you. I promise .”</p>
<p>sicheng smiles and takes his hand away. “ spare me the empty promises. people say that but they never do. you’ll return to the city, and I’ll stay here – then things end .”</p>
<p>“ no, sicheng, please. it won’t, I’ll visit –“</p>
<p>“ what’s the point, taeyong? you’re a human. it won’t work. I should’ve seen this coming, god, but I thought we’re something. I thought <em> I’m </em> someone to you .”</p>
<p>“ of course you are, sicheng ,” taeyong takes his hands again. “ you mean so much. sooner or later, it’s you who I’ll come back to. always you .”</p>
<p>sicheng sits, too, and squeezes taeyong’s hand. he has a smile on his face – yet it’s not bright or warm – it’s just a pitiful, heartbroken smile. something in taeyong breaks.</p>
<p>“ it doesn’t work like that, yong. this woodland is enchanted. you can only come back if I want you to .”</p>
<p>“ don’t you want me to ?”</p>
<p>“ of course I do. more than anything, I want you ,” sicheng drops his gaze, hesitating. “ but I don’t trust myself. things don’t last forever when it comes to me. especially when it’s the things, or people, I love. that’s why I’m always alone .”</p>
<p>“ but sicheng, I love you. I want to be with you .” taeyong presses. it’s the truest thing he’s ever said in his entire life.</p>
<p>sicheng looks up, smile soft. “ then stay .”</p>
<p>“ I …” taeyong pauses. hesitating. “ can’t …”</p>
<p>“ exactly. you can’t. we can’t, too .”</p>
<p>the remorse in taeyong’s chest is heavy, thick, even after sicheng kisses him and assures it’s okay. because they both know it’s not. once taeyong steps out of this cottage, they might not see each other forever anymore. sicheng slides off the bed and taeyong stays, gripping the white sheets. his chest feels empty. he’s still here, and sicheng’s only went to the kitchen, but everything feels… grey.</p>
<p>taeyong doesn’t like grey. he likes pink, especially sicheng’s pink.</p>
<p>he gets up, too, and gathers his things. there’s not many, but he takes his time. he scans the room, a sad smile dancing on his lips as he does so. this is the place he’s spent most of his time in for the last weeks, and after this, he probably won’t ever be here anymore. sicheng gets back with two paper bags. one, he’s filled with lots of foods and fruits and herbs (in case taeyong hurts himself again), mostly with the peaches. their peaches. he’s put a spell on those, so it won’t go bad even after years and stay fresh as new. it’s like a special preservative, so taeyong could keep one and think of him. taeyong smiles and thanks him.</p>
<p>the other sachet he’s filled with lavenders. taeyong can keep it in his room, his car, whatever – as long as he keeps it safe (sicheng’s words). its color reminds taeyong of sicheng’s beautiful hair, of the sunset they like to watch together as they sink their feet into the creek. definitely gonna keep them safe.</p>
<p>“ but more importantly, keep <em> yourself </em> safe ,” sicheng says and takes taeyong’s hands. “ so maybe we can see each other again .”</p>
<p>there’s a chance, a what-if. a maybe. even if it’s lesser than one per cent, taeyong wants to hold on it.</p>
<p>“ so… this is goodbye ?”</p>
<p>sicheng smiles. “ I like to say no ,” he squishes taeyong’s hands and looks down, eyes glassy. taeyong guides his chin back up. “ but it’s – it’s better than to leave you attached with no strings ."</p>
<p>taeyong kisses his tears away when they roll down his cheeks. sicheng tries to push him away but taeyong takes both of his hands, and pins them on top of his head. he kisses his cheeks, his forehead, nose, and lastly his lips.</p>
<p>“ don’t cry ,” he commands. “ I won’t be here to wipe them away. I won’t be here to make fun of myself so you’ll laugh .”</p>
<p>sicheng giggles, wiping his damp eyes with the paws of the taeyong’s sweatshirt he’s wearing. taeyong told him he can keep it. this way he’ll never forget taeyong, and maybe, just maybe, he can use it as an excuse to see sicheng again. taeyong cups his cheeks, both staring right into each other’s eyes. no words were uttered yet they had a whole conversation between themselves. when sicheng lets go of his hands, taeyong looks away. afraid if he keeps staring into the eyes he love, he will choose to stay.<br/>
“ you better get going if you wanna make it before dark .”</p>
<p>taeyong nods, crooking a bittersweet smile. “ thank you, sicheng, for your hospitality .” he drops his voice lower, “ and for everything .”</p>
<p>“ you’re welcome, taeyong .” he clenches his fists. “ and thank you .”</p>
<p>when taeyong leaves, sicheng feels his whole world breaking into two. the house never felt so empty and he never felt so lonely before. when he gets to his room, he sinks his head deep into his pillows and cries his heart out, although he promised taeyong not to.</p>
<p>he cries and cries and cries. taeyong isn’t there to comfort him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hhhhh I lost braincells writing this but hope y'all enjoyed it!!<br/>leave a kudos and your thoughts, maybe? thanks!!<br/>cross-posted on my wattpad under the title 'two worlds' : sillyseo<br/>stay safe &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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